Shazam! Fury of the Gods will premiere next week. While this Warner Bros. Discovery blockbuster looks larger in scale than the first entry, star Adam Brody says one thing remains just as bad about the movie: the cast’s superhero costumes.
The costumes in the first Shazam were endlessly memed when the first movie came out. However, the film got the last laugh with a $366.1 million global box office, making it one of DC's most solid earners, considering its relatively modest budget. However, with stars like Helen Mirren and Lucy Liu joining the cast in Fury of the Gods, all the characters have received a noticeable upgrade in their outfits that looked way better in the trailers.
Despite the costume updates, Brody recently told GQ that Shazam's costumes were really “infantilizing” due to how awkward putting on and taking off the whole thing ended up being. He compared the experience to one of the Met Gala’s over-the-top fits, saying, “You don't feel naked, you're bulky, you're in a bunch of stuff.” Brody admits Fury of the Gods came with some improvements, as the suits in the first movie were “a lot bulkier and more uncomfortable.” He also said actors would end up freezing in its Toronto location’s cold weather. Overall, Brody calls “it the most uncomfortable I've ever been working.”
Nevertheless, despite those minor inconveniences, the actor referred to Shazam as a dream opportunity for him, as playing a superhero was something he always wanted to do. "The outfit, the stunts, the heroics, and just the scale of what you're working on is a much different scale,” he said. The former The OC star also talked about his success at such a young age, claiming he’s watched a few episodes of the teen drama recently and found himself enjoying it.
In the first Shazam, the adult version of Freddy Freeman did not get nearly as much screen time as what Brody will have in the sequel. Regardless, it’s unclear whether he and lead actor Zachary Levi will have a part to play in James Gunn's new DC Universe, given Shazam's role in that is a complete mystery. Both Fury of the Gods and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom have been left to fend for themselves as Warner Bros. Appears to concentrate most of its efforts on promoting The Flash for this summer.
Unlike the Aquaman sequel, which has reportedly tested poorly with audiences, first reactions have praised Shazam! Fury of the Gods as the type of fun movie the first one turned out to be, so this could be another win for Billy Batson and company.
Shazam! Fury of the Gods will release on March 17, 2023.
Source: GQ